Microbiology
354 Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, 737.2404
M.Phil., Ph.D.
Director of Graduate Studies
Joann Sweasy
Professors
Sidney Altman (Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology),
Norma Andrews (Microbial Pathogenesis), Kim Bottomly (Immunobiology),
Yung-chi Cheng (Pharmacology), Donald Crothers (Chemistry),
Daniel DiMaio (Genetics), Jorge Galán (Microbial Pathogenesis),
Nigel Grindley (Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry),
Margaret Hostetter (Pediatrics), Keith Joiner (Internal Medicine),
K. Brooks Low (Therapeutic Radiology), Diane McMahon-Pratt
(Epidemiology & Public Health), Robert Macnab (Molecular
Biophysics & Biochemistry), I. George Miller (Pediatrics),
L. Nicholas Ornston (Molecular, Cellular & Developmental
Biology), Curtis Patton (Epidemiology & Public Health),
John Rose (Pathology), Nancy Ruddle (Epidemiology & Public
Health), Clifford Slayman (Cellular & Molecular Physiology),
Dieter Söll (Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry),
William Summers (Therapeutic Radiology), Peter Tattersall
(Laboratory Medicine), Elisabetta Ullu (Internal Medicine)
Associate Professors
Serap Aksoy (Epidemiology & Public Health), Susan Baserga
(Therapeutic Radiology), Michael Cappello (Pediatrics), Erol
Fikrig (Internal Medicine), Durland Fish (Epidemiology &
Public Health), Margaret Riley (Ecology & Evolutionary
Biology), Craig Roy (Microbial Pathogenesis), Joann Sweasy
(Therapeutic Radiology)
Assistant Professors
Louis Alexander (Epidemiology & Public Health), S. P.
Dinesh-Kumar (Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology),
Roger Ely (Chemical & Environmental Engineering), Akiko
Iwasaki (Epidemiology & Public Health), Christine Jacobs
(Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology), Barbara
Kazmierczak (Internal Medicine), Walther Mothes (Microbial
Pathogenesis), Christian Tschudi (Internal Medicine), Liangbiao
Zheng (Epidemiology & Public Health)
Fields of Study
The Graduate Program in Microbiology is a multidepartmental,
interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in training and research in
the study of microorganisms and their effects on their hosts.
The faculty of the program share the view that understanding
the biology of microorganisms requires a multidisciplinary
approach; therefore, the Microbiology graduate program emphasizes
the need for strong multidisciplinary training. The program
is designed to provide individualized education in modern
microbiology and to prepare students for independent careers
in research and teaching. Students can specialize in various
areas, including bacteriology, virology, microbe-host interactions,
microbial pathogenesis, cell biology and immunobiology of
microbial infections, microbial genetics and physiology, parasitology,
and microbial ecology and evolution.
Special Admissions Requirements
To enter the Ph.D. program, students apply to the
Microbiology track within the interdepartmental graduate program
in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences. An undergraduate
major in biology, biophysics, biochemistry, microbiology,
or molecular biology is recommended; the GRE General Test
or MCAT is required.
Program materials are available upon request from the Microbiology
Graduate Program, Section of Microbial Pathogenesis, BCMM
354F, Yale University, New Haven CT 06536.
Special Requirements for the Ph.D.
Course work generally occupies the first two years
of study. Each student, together with a faculty committee,
outlines a course of study tailored to the individual’s
background and career goals. A program of course work may
include general microbiology, virology, parasitology, and/or
microbial genetics, as well as complementary courses in such
areas as epidemiology, cell biology, immunology, biochemistry,
genetics, ecology, vector biology, and statistics. The program
also sponsors journal clubs and seminars in microbiology and
related areas. All students participate in three laboratory
rotations (MBIO 670a and b), with different faculty members,
in their area of interest. Laboratory rotations assure that
students quickly become familiar with the variety of research
opportunities available in the program. An individualized
qualifying exam on topics selected by each student, in consultation
with the faculty, is given before the end of the second year.
Students then undertake an original research project under
the direct supervision of a faculty member. In the third year,
students organize their thesis committee and prepare a dissertation
prospectus, which is submitted to the Graduate School after
approval by their committee. The student is then admitted
to candidacy. Upon completion of the student’s research
project, the Ph.D. requirements conclude with the writing
of a dissertation and its oral defense.
An important aspect of graduate training in microbiology is the acquisition
of teaching skills through participation in courses appropriate
for the student’s scientific interests. These opportunities
can be drawn from a diverse menu of lecture, laboratory, and
seminar courses given at the undergraduate, graduate, and
medical school level. Ph.D. students are expected to participate
in two terms (or the equivalent) of teaching. Students are
not permitted to teach during their first year.
Master's Degree
M.Phil. See Graduate
School requirements. Although the program does not formally
offer a master's degree, students who have been admitted to
candidacy qualify for an M.Phil.
Courses
MBIO 642a, Roles of Microorganisms in the Living
World. L. Nicholas Ornston, Diane McMahon-Pratt,
Robert Macnab. TTh
11.30–12.45
A topical course exploring the biology of microorganisms.
Emphasis on mechanisms underlying microbial adaptations and
how they influence biological systems. Prerequisites: biology,
chemistry, biochemistry. Also EMD 642a, GENE 642a, MB&B
642a, MCDB 642a.
MBIO 664b, Biology of Parasitic Protozoa and Helminths. Serap
Aksoy, Curtis Patton, Christian Tschudi.
MW 11– 12
Human diseases caused by eukaryotic parasites are the
most prevalent in the world. They are also important causes
of mortality. Malaria alone is the leading killer of children
under the age of five. This course focuses on the epidemiology,
developmental biology, and cellular and molecular biology
of the major eukaryotic parasites. We discuss the impact of
these organisms on health in developing countries and also
touch on the role of selected parasites on disease burden
in the United States. The format consists of two one-hour
lectures a week and a total of three laboratory demonstrations.
Also EMD 664b.
MBIO 670a,b, Laboratory Rotation. Joann Sweasy.
Rotation in three laboratories. Required for all first-year
graduate students.
MBIO 680a,b, Advanced Topics in Molecular Parasitology. Diane
McMahon-Pratt, Curtis Patton, Christian Tschudi.
F 12–1.30
A broadly based seminar course on current research topics
in cell and molecular parasitology, with topics chosen from
the current literature. Also EMD 680a,b.
MBIO 685b, Molecular Mechanisms of Microbial Pathogenesis. Jorge
Galán, Norma Andrews, Craig Roy, Walter Mothes. tf
10–11.30
The course focuses on current topics related to host
pathogen interactions. Each week a lecture is given on the
topic followed by student presentations of seminal papers
in the field. All participants are required to present a paper.
[MBIO 700a and b, Seminal Papers on the Foundations of
Modern Microbiology.]
MBIO 701a,b, Research in Progress. Joann Sweasy. M 2
All students, beginning in their third year, are required
to present their research once a year at the Graduate Student
Research-in-Progress, held on Mondays at 2 p.m. These presentations
are intended to give each student practice in presenting his
or her own work before a sympathetic but critical audience
and to familiarize the faculty with the research.
MBIO 702a,b, Microbiology Seminar Series. Joann
Sweasy. Th 4
All students are required to attend all Microbiology
seminars scheduled throughout the academic year. Microbiologists
from around the world are invited to describe their research.
[MBIO 734a, Molecular Biology of Animal Viruses.]
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